A New Direction
I’ve been posting to this blog for more than a year, sometimes daily for a few weeks, recently going more than a month without anything. The main reason for recent silence is that I’ve been busy seeking some income security for myself.
Over the past few months I’ve realized that the campaign for income security for all is unlikely to gain any traction for a few more years. That might be different, probably would be very different, if I had millions of dollars to put into the campaign. Or if I had a TV network backing me, the way Fox News promotes the Tea Party movement. If you know anyone who has millions of dollars, or even thousands, or a few hundred, or five or ten, or has a TV network, please respond promptly and let’s get to work.
It’s February 26, 2010. Congress is polarized and paralyzed, yesterday was the big health care summit between President Obama and leading members of Congress, the Tea Party movement is brewing up increasing anger at Obama and everything he’s doing, and economic conditions continue to be extremely precarious for most Americans. Even so, I’m predicting that Obama will be reelected in 2012 by a comfortable margin. I base that on the fact that neither the Tea Party movement nor the Republican Party is presenting any concrete, specific policies that can bring about the fundamental changes people desire.
After the 2012 election is when I expect there to be a real opening for these ideas. Over the next few years, I will continue to post occasionally, perhaps often, though in a different voice than before. As you might already notice, this post is very different than previous pieces. My plan is to make this blog somewhat more personal. Until now, I’ve avoided the word “I,” choosing to stay in the background while maintaining a focus on the issue of income security. My goal and practice, which was quite valuable to me and some other people, was to present ideas that anyone might take up and make his or her own.
Now I intend to be more public. I hope you’ll keep reading. Perhaps the new style, as it evolves, will attract more readers, and more donations, and that’s certainly one way to encourage me to post more. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the strategy for 2014 and 2016, and look forward to sharing those ideas with you.
Steven Shafarman